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The colder months bring the Hot Stove, and two of the bigger trades of the offseason so far sent alums of New Balance Future Stars Series to new teams over the past several days.
First, it was right-hander Grayson Rodriguez landing in Anaheim with the Los Angeles Angels in a deal that sent veteran outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles.
Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired left-hander Brandon Clarke as part of the package for right-hander Sonny Gray.
Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since July 31, 2024, due to injury, but is expected to be ready for spring training. He was a first-round pick by the Orioles (No. 11) in 2018 and made his big-league debut in 2023.
When healthy, Rodriguez has performed well, posting strong runs-allowed metrics, including a 3.80 FIP and 3.68 xFIP, plus the ability to miss bats (25.7% K) and throw strikes (7.8% BB) in 238.2 innings.
| PITCH | USAGE% | MPH | WHIFF% |
|---|---|---|---|
| FOUR-SEAM | 47.7 | 96.1 | 27.0 |
| CHANGEUP | 21.0 | 83.1 | 34.8 |
| SLIDER | 15.8 | 86.5 | 36.1 |
| CURVEBALL | 15.5 | 81.3 | 24.1 |
The 26-year-old comes with four years of club control for the Halos, and won’t be eligible for arbitration until next winter.
The Orioles get the final year of Ward before he hits free agency after the 2026 season. The 32-year-old hit .228/.317/.475 with 36 homers this past season, good for a 117 wRC+. His defense has faded a bit, and his strikeout rate has jumped nearly seven percent in two years, but he’s a viable run producer who destroys left-handed pitching, a significant weakness for Baltimore in 2025 (87 wRC+, 20th in MLB).
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound Rodriguez burst onto the scene in summer 2017 when he touched 95 mph and flashed three plus secondaries with above-average to plus control and command the New Balance Future Stars Series International Week that August. FSS Scouts put a future 61 OFP on him before he started his senior year of high school.
He passed on Texas A&M to sign with the O’s for $4.3 million.
While the Orioles get a high-probability player, Angels GM Perry Minasian made a quality deal here to take a shot at getting a mid-rotation or better arm for the next four years.
The potential payoff is along is worth one year of Ward and the $13-plus million in payroll flexibility it creates for a club with such a severe lack of quality pitching in their organization.
Clarke, 22, has excellent raw stuff, but his pro career has been abbreviated due to injuries. His fastball is up to 97 mph, and he’s swapped a curveball for a monster slider. There’s a promising changeup in his holster, too, but he’s been inconsistent with his control and command. He’s thrown just 76 innings since the Red Sox selected him in Round 5 in 2024, all as a starter, but Clarke has the premium stuff to serve as a relief ace with a chance to rack up strikeouts and ground-ball outs.
Fitts has now been traded twice in just under two years after the New York Yankees sent him to Boston in the Alex Verdugo deal. The right-hander is a starter with two quality fastballs into the mid-90s and mid0-80s slider with a chance to be a legitimate strikeout pitch.
He debuted in 2025 with mixed results, but he’s just 25 and still carries upside as a good No. 4.
Clarke has stood out in several NBFSS events, first in the 2019 Nationals as a two-way player. He hit 92 mph with his tailing fastball and showed a projectable breaking ball.
The Cards sent the Red Sox $20 million cash to help cover half of the remaining $40 million owed to Gray ($35 million in 2026, $5 million buyout of a $30 million club option for 2027).
Boston did well here, trading two players that were not a big part of their roster plans for the next year or two to solidify their rotation at a limited price.
This move saves the Cardinals some cash, but they also get two potentially useful arms, with Fitts ready to audition now and Clarke with more of a 2027 ETA. Clarke is unquestionably among the Cardinals’ Top 10 prospects.
This kind of deal suggests St. Louis is prioritizing 2027 and beyond, which makes sense since the roster is well below-average, aging, and lacks immediate impact down on the farm.
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